If being injured in an accident wasn’t frustrating enough, sometimes the person responsible flees the scene leaving you not only stranded, but unable to identify them.

Fortunately, if you’ve been a victim of a hit and run accident, you can still claim compensation for your injuries and other losses if you follow certain requirements. These include notifying ICBC of the accident as soon as you can and, in any event, within 6 months of the accident.

More onerously, you must make all reasonable efforts to try to find out the identity of the unknown driver. This usually involves immediately getting the names of people at the scene who saw the accident and might be able to help. If no one comes forward right away, signs can be posted at the scene asking witnesses to come forward with information. Similarly, ads can be posted in the newspaper asking witnesses to contact you with information. Getting the police involved is also a possibility.

Given that potential witnesses could eventually move on or forget what they saw, it’s essential that you act fast. That’s because failing to take reasonable steps to try to identify the unknown driver could result in your claim for compensation being denied. What’s more, ICBC is under no obligation to tell you that you have to take these steps.

Unlike ICBC, our team of ICBC injury lawyers are on your side. We have years of experiencing dealing with hit and run accidents and know what needs to be done to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.

If you’ve been injured in a hit and run accident, contact us today for a free consultation – before speaking with ICBC!